Forward Design

By Dr. James Eustache Philemy

About the Book
Forward Design offers a comprehensive model for educational reform, placing the children’s apprenticeship at the center of every decision-making to help them succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. It draws strength from applying the Upward Thinking Theory, a theoretical approach that fosters student agency and serves as a guide for school administrators and practitioners alike.

About the Author
Dr. James Eustache Philemy joined the New York City Department of Education in 1989 as a licensed teacher of common branches, grades 1 to 6, after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Math and Statistics from Stony Brook University in 1986. Subsequently, he received his Master’s in Technological Systems Management and Industrial Engineering in 1987. A licensed bilingual common branch teacher, in the year 1994, he received a Master of Science in Bilingual Education from Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus. Dr. Philemy advanced with his post-graduate studies at Bank Street College of Education in 1995, where he earned an M.Ed in Leadership and Administration.
He is currently retired after serving more than 17 years as principal of P.S./I.S. 208 in Queens, and for over 31 years with NYC Department of Education. During the school year 2018/2019, Dr. Philemy served as master principal for the Office of Leadership, NYC DOE, to mentor/coach five newly assigned principals. He has been a lecturer in the Educational Leadership Program for Stony Brook University and Queens College, preparing aspiring school administrators in school budget and operations, leadership theories, and school building administration.
Dr. Philemy studied at Hofstra University for the degree of Doctor of Education in Specialized Programs in Education. He successfully defended his dissertation entitled: “Parents’ Perception: Understanding Parental Involvement Through the Lens of Community-Based Organizations” in May 2017 and obtained his doctorate in Education and Policy Leadership in August 2017.
Additionally, Dr. Philemy is a humanitarian and philanthropist. As such, he co-founded NEGES (Nest for Educational Growth and Environmental Safety) in 1996 and recently, IMODEL (Institut Moderne de Leogane). With a clear focus on energy conservation and environmental protection, NEGES has been providing technical support and educational assistance to the community of Leogane, Haiti, in environmental protection and energy conservation. After the horrific and devastating earthquake of January 2010, NEGES has played an instrumental role in building community awareness by engaging the underserved neighborhoods in grass roots projects that enhance their knowledge of self, family, and community.
Dr. Philemy is fluent in English, Haitian Creole, French, and Spanish, and passionate for the arts. He excels in free hand art, sketching, calligraphy, painting, and more. As an educator, he strongly believes that children should become proficient in the science of the arts and the arts of the sciences. He is very eclectic in his tastes for art and music. He has developed a strong appreciation for the world's art and design. His hobbies include reading non-fiction, music, sports, free hand drawing, and poetry writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Jun 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887298849

Book preview

Philemy_Title_Page.eps

The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Dr. James Eustache Philemy

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Preface

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Forward Design (FD) is a comprehensive model for educational reform. With this model, I will attempt to offer another perspective for schools to reframe their perception and conception of teaching and learning. This model provides the learners with practical tools and adequate support to succeed. Therefore, FD does not rest on mandates and policies, nor does it depend on regulations and legislation to impact the learner positively. It places children’s apprenticeship at the center of every decision-making and sees everything else as a means to help the learner achieve their goals.

Such a model relies on the expertise of the practitioners. It places a lot of emphasis on their level of consciousness and allows them to go beyond their limitations and personal biases to treat all learners as equal in the full strength of the word. In this context, we envision equality, not in the sense of having the same intellectual capacity, but equity in services rendered as we are entrusted to provide support and devise appropriate interventions equally likely for all.

Although different, all learners need to benefit from the same degree of attention, adapted to their level of abstraction to develop their intelligence. Every student comes with the ability to learn. It is a matter of affirming our conviction and finding how to engage students best individually to make them succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. Only then will we live the true meaning of teaching and learning. To that end, practitioners should work consistently and methodically to reach this level of consciousness to unlock all biases that may have clogged their thought processes. They will be able to view all learners in the function of their abilities, talents, and merits, but not in terms of their disabilities. Forward Design is shifting the thinking beyond the established constraints and barriers imposed by all existing educational mandates, initiatives, regulations, and policies to open the scope with a clear focus on the learner. It takes into account all forces, internal and external, that may influence teachers’ practicum. Consequently, FD urges all practitioners to change gear and err in a different direction by placing the learner at the core of the operation. As established, tested, measured, and evaluated at Public/Intermediate School 208 (P.S./I.S. 208) during the past four years, this progressive model has proven to all practitioners that it holds the capacity to help build the learner’s critical thinking and understanding. It draws its strength from applying Upward Thinking, a theoretical approach that fosters student agency and equips the learner with the tools necessary to thrive. It encourages students to become involved in their learning and entrusts the practitioners with the strategies to be most proficient and effective in reaching all.

Foreword

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On a daily basis, school building leaders, in a collaborative effort with staff and community, search for the silver bullet that they hope will support their academic hopes and dreams for their school. They go to work each and every day acknowledging with strong faith that student academic performance will improve and understanding that it is their role to ensure that it happens. There are many factors involved in their plans; strong family and home support; high-quality teaching staff; equitable resources and curriculum materials; social and emotional support; and the expectation that the educational plant is one where their students can thrive. In many schools across this country, each factor is not aligned, and in some cases, administrators admit that their schools would be further ahead if they were able to guarantee success for each of these factors. This is especially the case in many urban schools that serve primarily black and brown children.

Forward Design is the work of an administrator who recognized that even though several of the factors may have been present during his tenure, the silver bullet was not evidenced and, as one who looked closely at data on a daily basis, saw the need to investigate further as to why. The data clearly indicated that despite the work and effort of many involved, there was an obvious decline in scores, and a justifiable reason needed to be found. In this case, a solution needed to be found, and who better to begin the search than those entrenched in the work? This is the mission of the true instructional leader. In this case, the building leader and team investigated the possible causes of the academic decline, and a diagnosis was formulated and hence, the birth of Forward Design for Public/Intermediate School 208.

Forward Design is not a packaged program, curriculum, or synchronized series of actions; it is a methodology built on data sense, instructional leadership, team building, and understanding of the skillset of all stakeholders involved. It gives building leaders the opportunity to recognize the problem and work alongside the school community with the realization that, in many cases, academic failure and decline can be obliterated if we understand that the answer is in the room!

Joanne Joyner-Wells, Ed.D.

Educator

Acknowledgements

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Many practitioners have inspired me to become more reflective and enabled me to gain invaluable insights into how students learn best. Their contributions to my professional growth and my personal accomplishments over the years were innumerable.

I am grateful to the reviewers and the collaborators whose feedback added value and significance to the final product: Magalie Pierre for helping me refine my